


sure

by tadashikawa



Series: enhypen is dumb and in love [1]
Category: ENHYPEN (Band)
Genre: First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, jay needs a break, jaywon if you really squint, just enha tings, park sunghoon is a smooth mf, pls read the authors note !!, set in technically canon ??, shim jake is struggling, someone save ni-ki please, sunoo is OBLIVIOUS, they also eat ramen and watch i-land, they go to a dog cafe its vv cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:40:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27643577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tadashikawa/pseuds/tadashikawa
Summary: “Shim Jake you are the most oblivious person I’ve ever met.”“Excuse me?”“I didn’t even suspect anything about your feelings until weeks after I realized Sunghoon-hyung’s. He’s more obvious than you… it’s why I gave up liking him. It’s not worth it when I know he’s already sold on someone.”Jake was extremely confused.Sunghoon liked him? Sunoo has known this for weeks?“Wipe that confused look off your face Jaeyun-hyung, I’m gonna get you a boyfriend.”[ or in which Sunoo fails to set up Jake and Sunghoon, but it doesn't matter. Because they figure it out all on their own. ]
Relationships: Kim Sunoo/Nishimura Riki | Ni-ki, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Park Sunghoon/Shim Jaeyoon | Jake
Series: enhypen is dumb and in love [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2022230
Comments: 24
Kudos: 165





	sure

**Author's Note:**

> hiya! so i started writing this a *really* long time ago, maybe the first week they became enhypen. i kind of gave up on it back then but randomly got inspiration last week to finish it. so naturally i didn't know much about the dorm back then and in the first part i wrote that they had multiple shared bedrooms. (jakehoon, sunki have one each and then hee/wonie/jay in another one) i didn't feel like changing it because it kind of drives how the plot starts so pls keep in mind that i am aware they all share one bedroom !! 
> 
> anyways i hope you enjoy the fic !! i'm seriously thinking about making two sequels set in the same universe that are sunki/jaywon centric so pls lmk if you'd be interested in reading that. comments and kudos are appreciated but not necessary :)

All his life, Jake had felt unsure. 

Unsure of himself. Unsure of his place. It was beyond frustrating. 

Throughout the entirety of I-Land, he felt lost. Everyday there was a fluid schedule, each second was monitored and planned. Yet he still could not grasp a sense of direction. 

He was distracted, it seemed nowadays he always was. He thought as soon as he left the constant surveillance it would get better, but the habit had followed him. Obviously Jake wasn’t oblivious. He was well aware of the source, he just didn’t want to admit it. 

He hated falling into stereotypes. Maybe it was because at first glance most people tend to judge him, assumed with the pretty face came an ugly personality and that he got by solely on his appearance. It wasn’t true. At least he hoped it wasn’t. 

Now though, he couldn’t help but surrender to the harsh truth that he was a living cliche. 

When he arrived at I-Land he was afraid that he’d have trouble making friends. His Korean wasn’t as fluent as it was now, and his unit members Sunoo and Youngbin were much more extroverted than he was. It wasn’t as if he was unable to freely speak to people though, that was made clear when he first locked eyes with Park Sunghoon. Something about him drew Jake in, made him need to be his friend. 

They got along way better than Jake could have ever anticipated. 

Hanbin-hyung once told Jake that he and Sunghoon were like soulmates. Jake was biased, so of course he wanted to believe it, but he knew there was some kind of truth in the statement. They bounced off eachother. They were two halves of a whole. They were best friends. 

And that was the fucking problem. 

Whenever Jake watched movies with his mother, he rolled his eyes at the character who was hopelessly in love with their best friend. He thought it was dumb to love your friend like that, they’re your _friend_. 

He just hadn’t met Park Sunghoon yet. 

Despite his heartthrob appearance, Jake was not one for romance. If you asked him just a few months ago he would have told you that he has never fallen in love. But now? He was sure he was close to whatever was classified as love. 

There was so much he liked about him. He liked how he was shy to start, but fun as he became more comfortable. He liked how his eyes shined when he was passionate about something. He liked how free and graceful he looked when he danced. He liked how he craved attention, but only from those whom he trusted to give it to him. He liked how he was confident but not arrogant. He liked how stupidly competitive he was with him. He could go on for hours, and he _has_. It was probably something his Hanbin-hyung was glad he was finally free of. 

Hanbin was actually the only person Jake has told. He was always cautious about how he acted and what he said, he didn’t want to out himself to the other trainees, and he _definitely_ didn’t want to out himself to the millions of people watching him. 

He’s always wanted to tell Sunoo, Jake thought he’d give him good advice because he’s crazy about things like this. The only issue was that Sunoo kind of had a crush on Sunghoon too. Jake wasn’t stupid though, he knew what he and Sunghoon had was much more genuine then whatever Sunoo felt for him. But that didn’t really matter at all, Sunoo was his friend. He’d never do that to him. 

Hanbin told him before he had been eliminated that he should talk to Sunoo. That’s how he ended up here, standing awkwardly outside of Sunoo and Ni-ki’s shared room in their dorm. He’s been there for nearly 6 minutes now, just going over what he would even say to him. 

Jake took in a deep breath and knocked on the door. 

No answer. 

He slowly creaked it open and took a peek inside. The light was on, and it was only 9:45. Sunoo never slept earlier than 1 am. 

“Sunoo-ah? Are you here?”

“He’s out with Jay-hyung, they’re getting milk.”

Jake fully opened the door to find himself face to face with the youngest of their group laying down stomach first on his bed. He let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding in. 

“Hey Ni-ki…”

Ni-ki gave him a small wave and motioned for him to come inside. Jake followed and swayed back and forth in place, waiting for something to happen.

“Did you need something?”

“Oh! No… no I didn’t I just um… wanted to talk to Sunoo about something. I can go if you want.”

Ni-ki smiled and pointed to Sunoo’s bed with his eyes. 

“You can sit down, I don’t mind.”

Jake shot him a small smile and took a seat at the corner of Sunoo’s unmade bed. He tapped his leg up and down, feeling the silence grow more and more awkward with each passing second. It wasn’t like he was not comfortable with Ni-ki, he truly admired the other boy’s determination and drive for success. They also grew very close during their summer camp, as they had shared a room back then. He just didn’t know what to say or how to even start.

“Jake-hyung? Are you okay?”

Jake snapped out of his daze. He turned to face Ni-ki who had since put the tablet he was holding down. 

“Sorry, I’m just… have you ever... had something you wanted to tell someone but you didn’t know how?”

“What?”

“Nevermind I-”

“No no, it’s okay. I mean… yeah of course I have who hasn’t.”

Jake shrugged and shifted into a more comfortable position on the bed.

“If I tell you something, can you please promise not to tell anyone? Not even Sunoo?”

Ni-ki nodded and urged him to continue.

“I have… a thing. A secret I guess. If this secret got out, the whole team would think differently of me. Everything would change. I want to ask Sunoo because I think he could give me really helpful advice. But the problem is that I think he has a secret too, and if I told him mine, he might get hurt. I don’t want to hurt him.”

Ni-ki looked at him with knowing eyes. Jake felt uneasy. 

“May I ask something? You can’t get mad.”

“Sure?”

“Is this about your crush on Sunghoon-hyung?”

Jake’s eyes widened and he froze.

“I… what?”

Ni-ki laughed at his probably ridiculous facial expression. 

“I tend to be pretty good at seeing when people have crushes hyung. I mean… I guess it takes one to know one...”

The end of his sentence was hushed but Jake could hear him, it made him question.

_Ni-ki has a crush?_

“But that doesn’t matter! What matters is your problem. Do you have some kind of plan?”

Jake took a note of the quick change of topic. He’d ask Ni-ki about it another time. 

“Why would I have a plan?”

“I don’t know! Maybe just talk to Sunoo-hyung?”

Jake rolled his eyes.

“That’s what I was trying to do!”

“What were you going to do?”

Jake and Ni-ki both swiveled to face the door, locking eyes with a very yellow Sunoo. He was wearing an oversized striped white shirt with matching yellow overalls, he literally lit up the entire room. At least it looked like Ni-ki thought so. 

“Are you guys talking about me?”

Sunoo was grinning like an idiot. Jake sighed.

_What have I awoken…_

“We weren’t talking about you hyung.”

Sunoo hopped towards Ni-ki and pinched his red tinted cheeks. 

_Interesting._

“Cute! Cute! There's no need to be embarrassed my Ni-ki, I’m sure you were saying all good things.”

Ni-ki visibly stiffened, not that Sunoo seemed to notice. Jake smirked at the sight.

_Ni-ki sure has a crush all right._

“I’m going to the bathroom.”

The younger boy quickly got up and darted out of the room, Sunoo deflated in a pout. He shifted so that he was sitting on the bed in a criss-cross fashion. 

“Aww… anyways! What were you guys talking about?”

Sunoo turned to face Jake, resting his head on his hand. 

“Sunoo... can I talk to you?”

“About what you guys were saying?”

Jake licked his lips and looked at the ground. It was the cowards way out but he was finally going to make some progress, so he wasn’t ashamed of the lack of eye contact. 

“No… about Sunghoon… I- um…”

“Hm?”

“I don’t know how to say this but… doyouhaveacrushonSunghoon? It’s okay if you do I just want to know because I think Ilikehimtoo and I don’t want to hurt your feel--”

“Woah woah woah slow down Jake-hyung… do I have a what?”

Jake took a deep breath.

“Do you have a crush on Sunghoon?”

He looked up to meet Sunoo’s eyes. The other boy tilted his head, intrigued. 

“Like do I find him attractive?”

“I guess.”

Sunoo began to twirl and fiddle with his fingers.

“I mean obviously I do. Who doesn’t? Plus he’s so nice and talented and driven… Sunghoonie-hyung’s a whole package don’t you think?”

Jake murmured something under his breath.

“What was that?”

“... that’s kind of the problem…”

Sunoo’s eyes widened in realization. He suddenly stood up and started bouncing up and down on Ni-ki’s bed. 

“I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! You lik-”

Jake jumped up and tackled the younger boy, covering his mouth with his hand. Sunoo laughed and licked his palm. Jake winced and pulled away.

“Ew what is wrong with you?”

“You li-”

“Shhhhh!”  
  


Sunoo grinned and started to whisper.

“You like Sunghoonie-hyung! I knew it! I told Ni-ki this weeks ago and I was right!”

Jake fell backwards on the bed, his head in his hands. He groaned.

“Am I that obvious?”

Sunoo laughed.

“No not really… I’m just an expert on this sort of thing. Love is my language. I’ve set up so many of my friends before. They call me the master of matchmaking.”

Jake rolled his eyes and Sunoo moved to lay down next to him.

“I’m gonna help you.”

Jake sat up.

“What?”

“I’m gonna help set you up with Sunghoonie-hyung!”

“No absolutely not.”

“Why? It’ll be so much fun! I’ll get Ni-ki to help too!”

“Sunoo. He doesn’t even like me back, why would you need to help me there’s no point.”

Sunoo sat up to look him sternly in the eye.

“Shim Jake you are the most oblivious person I’ve ever met.”

“Excuse me?”

“I didn’t even suspect anything about your feelings until weeks after I realized Sunghoon-hyung’s. He’s more obvious than you… it’s why I gave up liking him. It’s not worth it when I know he’s already sold on someone.”

Jake was extremely confused. 

_Sunghoon liked him? Sunoo has known this for weeks?_

“Wipe that confused look off your face Jaeyun-hyung, I’m gonna get you a boyfriend.”

* * *

Jake woke up the next morning with a bright light shining in his face. 

“Wh-”

“Good morning!”

Jake slowly opened his eyes to be greeted by Sunoo, a huge smile on his face. Jake didn’t understand how he was so bright and cheerful at… 6:34 am. He groaned and flipped over on his bed.

“Give me 10 minutes.”

“No! I have a plan hyung, don’t you want to-”

Jake shot up and gave Sunoo a death glare whispering directly in his face.

“He is _right there_.”

He motioned to Sunghoon’s body in the bed next to his. He was fast asleep, clinging on to his pillow with a little drool stained on the side of his mouth. He looked so peaceful. Jake’s mind started to wander. 

_What if I was that pillow…_

“Hyung you are ridiculous.”

Jake huffed and threw the stuffed animal on his bed stand at Sunoo’s head. The other boy caught it with ease. Jake pouted and Sunoo laughed.

“Let’s go make breakfast! We can talk about the plan while we work!”

Sunoo jumped off his bed and skipped out the door.

Jake sighed and made his way to follow him, but not before sneaking one more look at Sunghoon. He smiled to himself.

_He’s so cute._

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Sunoo had been in there for maybe 3 minutes before him, but the kitchen was already a huge mess. There were empty and open containers _everywhere_ and the center island was littered with an assortment of dishes. At the corner of the island sat an extremely tired looking Ni-ki, quietly eating cereal. Jake felt sympathy for the other boy, he never woke up early and yet here he was now. 

_I guess what Sunoo wants Sunoo gets._

“Jay-hyung is going to get so mad at you.”

Sunoo waved him off as he began to make eggs in a pan that Jake recognized as the exact one he had used yesterday and didn’t wash. Jake sat in the seat next to Ni-ki. The younger boy looked at him like he wanted to die. Jake laughed.

“Okay! I don’t exactly have a _plan_ but! I do have a general idea of what you could do to help get Sunghoonie-hyung to recognize your feelings.”

Jake nodded at Sunoo, then gestured for Ni-ki to give him some of his cereal. The boy in question rolled his eyes, but ultimately did feed Jake a bite of his food. 

“You need to give him your undivided attention whenever you’re talking to him. Don’t break eye contact but don’t be weird about it. Give him deep, romantic gazes okay?”

Jake scrunched up his face and tilted his head in confusion. Sunoo groaned.

“Just talk to him genuinely. Oh and touch him a lot! But in a natural way. Laugh at his jokes and even if you don’t care at all what he’s saying pretend you do.”

Jake nodded, mentally jotting down the points in his head. As he was thinking them over though, he came to a realization.

“But I already do that?”

“Hm?”

Sunoo turned to him with a bewildered look on his face.

“I do all of that, just not… in a romantic sense I guess.”

“Then think about it in a romantic sense! Trust me, your body will act differently if you think about your actions in a new light. Then hopefully, he’ll notice! You already have a great foundation hyung. You’re great friends, you’re roommates, you follow each other around-- to be honest nothing much would really change if you guys finally pulled it together and started dating.”

At this point Jake was flushed red. He turned to look at Ni-ki in the hopes of some reassurance that Sunoo was insane, but instead he found a really sad looking kid picking at his bowl of milk. He thought over Sunoo’s words again. 

_You’re great friends._

_You’re roommates._

_You follow each other around._

_Oh..._

Jake frowned and moved to wrap his arm around Ni-ki. God willing this whole Sunghoon thing worked out, he’d help out the younger boy. He internally swore on it. 

“What the fuck happened in here?”

The three boys turned to look at a very annoyed Jay with a head of messy hair. He looked as if he just woke up.

“I’m making breakfast Jay-hyung!”

“But did you have to ruin the entire kitchen?”

“It’s not ruined! I’ll clean it!”

“No you won’t, you always say you will b-”

“What are they talking about?”

Jake zoned out of the argument in front of him to pay attention to the voice on his left. He came face to face with none other than Sunghoon himself. He could feel his cheeks turning pink by the second. Ni-ki coughed down a laugh and Jake discreetly kicked him from under the table.

“Um… I don’t know normal Sunoo things.”

Sunghoon chuckled and Jake wanted to die. 

_How am I supposed to play it cool and romantic when I turn into mush whenever I look at him._

He decided to take some of Sunoo’s advice and stare deep into Sunghoon’s eyes. The older boy squinted at him and moved his head _very_ close to his face. Jake gulped.

“Are you okay? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I… um… I’m fine! Totally fine!”

Sunghoon gave him a strange look.

“Okay…?”

He got up and Jake watched him move towards the fridge to get water. 

_He’s literally just walking, I need to pull myself together._

“Jake? Jaeyun-ah? Hel-”

“Hi! Sorry!”

Jake shook himself out of his head once again. Jay squinted his eyes at him and Jake hid himself behind the coffee he was trying to drink.

_This is going to be a long day._

  
  


* * *

“Hyung! Hyung! You missed it, scroll back!”

Jungwon whined as he tried to grab the remote out of Heeseung-hyung’s hands. They decided on continuing their watch of I-Land, as they did not have much on their schedule for today, and Sunoo had already posted enough selcas on their account for them to not be considered ‘dead’. 

Jake was sitting right next to Sunghoon, because of course he was. As soon as they took their seat Sunoo raised his eyebrows in an attempt of what? Jake truly wished he knew.

They were deep into their binge. If he was honest, rewatching I-Land was a lot harder than he had originally anticipated. The emotions and stress felt as if they had returned, and even though he knew he had made it… the question of _‘What if he didn’t?’_ still stood. 

He decided to distract himself from thinking too deep about everything by trying to follow up on Sunoo’s advice. Granted he thought it was a little ridiculous how intense physical affection strictly meant romantic feelings. He himself showed appreciation and respect in touch, so it solely being romantic felt a bit odd-- but what did he know? Sunoo was apparently the expert here. 

He scooted himself a little closer to Sunghoon. The younger boy didn’t seem to notice. Jake, determined to get some kind of reaction, huffed in his seat and pushed their bodies together so that their shoulders were flush against each other. Still nothing. 

Jake’s eyes met Sunoo’s, the boy in question sitting across the couch. Sunoo squinted his eyes, motioning at him in an attempt to convey some kind of message. 

“What?”

Jake mouthed to him, trying his very hardest to not draw attention to himself. Sunoo rolled his eyes and did the same.

“Follow after me.”

Jake was confused but paid attention nonetheless. He watched as Sunoo shifted in his seat, sinking lower to lean his head comfortably on Ni-ki’s shoulder. The other boy visibly tensed but then sighed in defeat, lifting his arm to wrap around Sunoo. 

_Poor Ni-ki. If only Sunoo was more observant when it came to himself rather than focusing on everyone else._

Jake took in a deep breath. It was going to be alright, he could do this. It was not as if he had never hugged Sunghoon before, and when he did his head often landed on his shoulder anyways. It wasn’t so different.

_It was_.

He didn’t have to move down as much as Sunoo had. He was already slouching in his seat and it was not as if their height difference changed much since I-Land. He exhaled and just… went for it. It was a little awkward and he could feel Sunghoon’s movement stutter a bit, but he didn’t pull away and Jake took that as a good sign. 

They stayed like that for a while, maybe at least two episodes worth. Eventually Sunghoon had fully relaxed, moving his own head to lean against Jake’s. Jake felt giddy at the action but he knew he couldn’t bring his hopes up. This was still a somewhat platonic thing to do, despite the pleased looks Sunoo kept sending them. He shouldn’t set himself up for disappointment, not about something like this. Sunghoon meant too much to him and he was not going to risk their entire relationship on a maybe. 

* * *

It was nearing 2:00pm and Heeseung-hyung had wanted to go out and properly explore the area around their dorm. They’ve never really had many unmonitored days off before since they’ve been tirelessly preparing for their debut and filming their reality show, so everyone was very open to the idea. 

Jake groaned as he waited for Jungwon to finish using the bathroom. How that kid was so small yet spent _such_ a long time in there, he would never know. He met Jay, Sunghoon, and Heeseung, who were busy conversing in the kitchen. 

“No I’m not lying! I’ve really never had a girlfriend before hyung.”

Heeseung laughed as he swallowed some of his leftover ramyeon he made last night. 

“Really?”

“Why would I lie about something like that?”

“I don’t know. Have you ever liked someone?”

Jay scoffed and stole a noodle from Heeseung’s bowl. 

“Of course I’ve liked people before! What kind of question is that?”

Sunghoon smirked next to him, slightly nudging him with his shoulder.

“Well do you like anyone now?”

Jay sputtered.

“I… what? No! I have no id-”

At that moment Jungwon finally exited the bathroom and Jay got quiet very fast. There was a pause-- then all Jake could hear was Sunghoon’s manic laughter and Heeseung choking on his food. Jungwon poked his head in to see what all the commotion was about, craning his head like a lost puppy. 

“Are you guys okay?”

Heeseung coughed in an attempt to clear his throat.

“We’re fine Jungwon-ah… just fine.”

Their leader raised an eyebrow, obviously not believing them. 

“Um… okay... Jake-hyung! You can go in now I’m done.”

Jake nodded and made his way towards the bedroom to get his stuff. To his surprise, Sunghoon stood up and followed him. As he reached for his clothes Sunghoon sat down on Jay’s bed, just watching him. Jake laughed.

“You’re so weird.”

Sunghoon remained unphased and Jake began to make his way out the door.

“Have you ever had a girlfriend?”

Jake stopped in his tracks.

_Shut up thoughts, it doesn't mean anything. He’s just continuing the conversation from earlier._

He turned to face the other boy.

“Why do you ask?”

Sunghoon’s eyes pierced deep into his. The air felt heavy for no real reason at all, he was overthinking things, he _had_ to have been.

“No reason, just curious…”

Jake awkwardly nodded his head. He wasn’t sure what to do. Should he just leave and go shower?

“I’ve never had a girlfriend before you know.”

Jake felt his entire body tense up. He was surprised but he tried his best to act nonchalant about the whole thing. 

_He’s never had a girlfriend before… what if… No! You’re being ridiculous. He was really busy when he was younger._

_But what if..._

“Um… because of figure skating and stuff right? It would probably be hard to balance the two I’d imagine…”

Sunghoon’s face remained calm. Jake’s hands started to sweat.

“That was one of the reasons, yeah.”

Jake gulped.

“One?”

Sunghoon looked down at his lap, a small grin plastered on his face.

“Yeah one.”

“What-”

“Jake-hyung! Can you _please_ hur- Oh! Shit I’m sorry I’m sorry keep going ignore me!”

Sunoo tried to salvage what he could as he sprinted out of the room but it was too late, he had already ruined the moment. Sunghoon chuckled at Sunoo’s antics.

“You should go shower, you know what happens when Ddeonu has to wait for his turn.”

Jake sighed. He knew well enough how crazy he could get, but in this situation he figured Sunoo really wouldn’t care. He could easily just continue with Sunghoon here for a couple more minutes. But against his better (or worse) judgement, he made his way towards the bathroom anyways.

* * *

Their neighborhood had much more to explore than Jake had originally anticipated. They’ve been browsing the different stores in their local marketplace for almost an hour and a half already, and they haven’t even gotten halfway towards the end. 

So far nothing had really piqued his interests just yet. Most of the shops were for food and books, the rare clothing stores more suited to Sunoo and Jungwon’s styles rather than his own. He had enjoyed spending time with the team though. It was nice to connect and bond over less stressful circumstances. 

He and Sunghoon had stayed relatively close to one another the entire time, trading little comments and jokes about their surroundings. In a way, it sort of felt like a date… with 5 other people. Jake knew it was a stretch but he really couldn’t help it.

“Jake-hyung! Look!”

Jake looked up from where he was sitting besides Jungwon on a bench. They had decided to take a little break from walking to stop for water as per Heeseung’s request.

_“Do we_ have _to stop? I was just getting into things.”_

_“Stop pouting Sunoo-ya I forgot to bring water and I can’t have my dongsaengs go dehydrated.”_

Jake took a sip of his (newly bought!) water and shifted his gaze to where Ni-ki was pointing. After laying his eyes on the shop he immediately dropped everything and dashed. He could hear Jay’s faint shout behind him telling him to slow down but he didn’t care. As he approached the entrance he looked up at the sign, happiness welling up in his chest.

_Cho’s Animal Shelter_

This is what he had been waiting for.

The inside of the store was exactly as he expected. The walls and design were more on the modern side but it was quaint and homey nonetheless. The animals were separated by species: dogs on the right, cats on the left, and the rest of the animals lined up towards the back. 

He heard the entrance bell ring behind him as he felt the other members enter the store. At the sound, Jake immediately spun around and locked eyes with Heeseung and Jungwon, who were both in charge of their plans for the day. He attempted his most desperate puppy dog eyes, matching those of the dogs beside him. Heeseung laughed.

“Yes we can stay.”

Jake punched the sky in triumph as he made his way towards the counter. When he arrived, he was met with a lady who might have been old enough to be his grandma. 

“Hello! Um… I’m Jake.”

“Nice to meet you young man, is there anything I can do for you?”

“I was just wondering… I don’t plan on buying anything, but can my friends and I still play with the animals?” 

He would have used his puppy eyes again but with anyone other than his friends he felt really embarrassed, so he opted not to. The lady got the message though.

“Go right ahead. They don’t get much company nowadays.”

Jake gave her a very wide smile as he bowed, he was sure he looked insane. 

“Thank you! Thank you!”

He turned around to see that the others have already started. Sunghoon was sitting cross-legged on the floor, smiling down at a dog in his lap. Jake felt like he was going to explode. The large window behind him casted a ray of light that hit his face just right, and his laugh echoed in his ear until it was the only sound he heard. Staring at him made Jake forget about his surroundings, his mind completely occupied by Sunghoon’s smile. 

“Jake-ya! Come on!”

Sunghoon called out to him using one of the dog’s paws as his own, mimicking a waving motion. Jake looked towards Sunoo. He was filming Jay, who was attempting to befriend one of the cats, but to no avail. The other boy made eye contact with him and motioned for him to calm down. Jake closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He then made his way to the spot next to Sunghoon. 

“What’s its name?”

“Yuri. She’s a… Ni-ki what’s the breed again?”

Their maknae turned to them, he and Jungwon were playing with a much larger dog near the back of the cage.

“Kishu Inu.”

“Kishu Inu! That’s it. Apparently it’s a breed from Japan.”

“Ah, she’s so cute!”

Jake moved to pet the dog in Sunghoon’s lap. She was only a baby so she was small, but Jake could tell she would grow into something much bigger. As he pet the dog, he was consciously aware of how close he was to Sunghoon. Whenever he would lean in to rub Yuri’s head, his own would linger against the younger boy’s shoulder in a much similar fashion to this morning. He pouted as the dog leaned into his touch. 

“I wish our apartment complex allowed us to own a pet. I miss taking care of a dog.”

“Yeah me too, I haven’t seen Gaeul in a really long time.”

“Yeah… I miss Layla.”

Jake made a mental note to call his parents that night. He had already contacted them this morning just to check in, but Layla was asleep so he couldn’t see her. 

It was quiet for a while, save for Sunoo’s excited squealing as he took pictures and selfies to post later. 

“Hey Jake?”

“Hm?”

“Catch!”

“What-”

Suddenly a light force hit his shoulder. It didn’t hurt but he was not about to pass up an opportunity to be dramatic about it.

“Ow! Sunghoon-ah!”

The other boy laughed and opened out his palm.

“Let’s play catch.”

Jake giggled at the idea and proceeded to throw the ball his direction. They maintained a steady rhythm until Yuri started to take notice. She began to chase the motion of the toy back and forth between the two of them. It was adorable. Jake could hear Sunoo behind him. 

“Awe! Gah it’s too cute! Ni-ki-ah can I have my phone back for a second? I _need_ to get this on video. Engenes would love it!”

Sunghoon laughed and before Jake knew it, his attention shifted to the noise and the ball hit him square in the face. 

Again, it didn’t hurt but Jake still clenched his hand over his eyes and fell backwards on the floor.

“Ow!”

Jake could hear Jay and Jungwon laughing at him, and he was sure Sunoo was dying at the fact that he had got it on camera. Sunghoon-- bless him-- tried to hold it in, but he ultimately failed joining the rest of the members.

After a few seconds Jake sat up and excessively pouted. He slouched his shoulders in an attempt to make himself look small and defeated. Sunghoon tried to apologize, but it was almost illegible due to his laughter.

“I’m…”

_Laughter. He’s so mean._

“... I’m sorry.”

“Hyung you should have seen yourself! Look! Look!”

Sunoo shoved the phone in his face and… 

_Damn it Sunoo I’m trying to be mad here_.

He looked ridiculous. It didn’t take much before he finally broke and let out a laugh. He moved a bit and fell against Sunghoon, laying down where the dog once did. He felt the younger boy’s fingers run through his hair and he sighed. This was nice. Sunghoon was nice. 

Despite the chaos around him, he really felt safe cuddled up in Sunghoon’s arms like this. It was a little different-- he wasn’t super used to being doted on, especially not like this-- but it was comfortable.

Home was not a term Jake took lightly. He had only ever considered Australia his ‘home’ before. Never had he felt welcomed and warm enough anywhere else. 

When he told his parents he was moving to Korea to pursue his dreams, he cried. Not because of the life change-- he was really excited to walk down this new path-- but because of the lack of familiarity that an unknown country brought. Even back in I-Land, he never truly considered it home. It was a cool facility that he had grown accustomed to the longer he stayed there, but he was never really comfortable there. Sometimes at night when he knew the cameras were off, he would sneak out of his room to the balcony and just... think. It was never about anything particular, just anything and everything that came to mind. He often worried about how much he missed his family, that if he debuted and stayed much longer he’d never find that safe space again. But then in that moment he never anticipated that now, his face shoved in Park Sunghoon’s chest, the other’s arm loosely wrapped around his waist... It felt a lot like home.

* * *

It was nearing 7:30 pm by the time they got back to their dorm. After they left the shelter, they proceeded to wander around aimlessly, just trying to enjoy the last few hours of peace before they had to start worrying about their debut again. Heeseung suggested that once they got home they should order in rather than cook, but Jay quickly vetoed the idea. 

_“No. Nope. Absolutely not.”_

_“But-”_

_“The chicken_ you _bought expires soon. If we don’t eat it and it goes bad who’s going to have to clean it up?”_

_“...”_

_“Me. Exactly. We’re eating at home.”_

The sizzling sound of the meat lingered throughout their entire space, each one of them anticipating their meal. In the living room, Jake found Jungwon, Sunoo, and Heeseung playing Mario Kart on the TV while Ni-ki and Sunghoon watched. 

“I know you have it hyung! Don’t do it! Please! I never win this game, just let me win once!”

Heeseung laughed as he launched yet another shell at Sunoo’s cart. The younger boy groaned and put his head in his hands. 

“Sorry.”

Sunoo rolled his eyes and went back to the game.

“You know they say if you roll your eyes enough they’ll stay that way.”

Jake chuckled to himself as he watched Sunoo glare at Jungwon for his comment. He made his way to the spot next to Ni-ki. He’d been with Sunghoon all day and as much as he liked him, he didn’t want to seem clingy. He felt their maknae poke him on the shoulder.

“Hyung?”

“Yeah?”

“Can we talk? In my bedroom?”

Jake nodded, confused but ready to help their Ni-ki with anything he needed. 

Their bedroom looked the same as it did the night before. Neither Ni-ki or Sunoo’s bed was made and Jake felt fond looking at all of the pictures hung up on the walls. It was very… them. He didn’t know how to explain it, but he knew that no other person could share a room with Sunoo. It just felt wrong. 

Ni-ki sat down on his own bed and gestured for Jake to do the same. The maknae sighed as Jake plopped down beside him.

“How did you know you liked Sunghoon-hyung?”

Jake’s confused face relaxed with understanding.

_Oh._

“Is this about Sunoo?”

Ni-ki did not make eye contact. It was clear he was still shy about the topic. 

“Well… I met Sunghoon in I-land-- same as you and Sunoo. It was awkward at first, but there was this feeling deep in me that just needed to be his friend. So I pushed and didn’t hesitate even if I was scared he wouldn’t like me.”

Jake laughed to himself, remembering all the embarrassing things he said while trying to befriend Sunghoon.

“It didn’t actually take much effort, we clicked right away. For the longest time he was my best friend-- _just_ my best friend. We were each other's support systems and I’m really grateful he stuck with me through it all.”

Ni-ki paid close attention. It was one of the things Jake really liked about him, he was such a great listener. 

“I don’t really know how to explain it but one day it just… changed. My feelings, I mean. Maybe it was after Heeseung-hyung mentioned something about how handsome he was, but in all honesty I think those emotions were always there. I’m not sure if it’s love-- I’ve never been in love. Whatever it is though, I’m glad I’m experiencing it with him.”

Ni-ki nodded and looked up to the ceiling. Jake let him sit with his words for a moment, certain the younger boy was thinking of what to say next. 

“Are you ever afraid that… that maybe he doesn’t like you back?”

Jake shrugged and joined Ni-ki staring at the blank ceiling above them. 

“I don’t really like to think about that, it’s not like I’m _really_ going to do anything about my feelings. If anything happens then it happens. But if that’s what you’re worried about with Sunoo I think you’ll be just fine.”

Ni-ki scoffed.

“Why would you say that?”

Jake shifted to look at him, Ni-ki did the same.

“Because I know Sunoo. He picks up on _everything_ about _everyone_ unless it’s about himself. He’s generally a pretty bold person so if he knew you liked him… well I’m not sure what exactly would happen, but I know you wouldn’t be disappointed with the result. He just feels different with you… you know?”

Ni-ki laughed and shoved Jake’s shoulder.

“Yeah same with you and Sunghoon-hyung.”

Jake huffed.

“No way.”

“Totally.”

He shook his head and moved his hand to ruffle their maknae’s blond hair. 

“Let’s go, I can smell the chicken already and I really do not want to be on the end of Jay’s nagging.”

The younger boy nodded and they both began to make their way to the door before Ni-ki pulled him back by his arm. 

“Hyung.”

“Hm?”

“What you and Sunghoon-hyung have… it inspires me to not be afraid to admit my feelings.”

“...”

“So please tell him. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with the result either.”

* * *

Ni-ki’s words stuck with him, circling through his mind all throughout dinner. 

_Should I do it? Should I tell Sunghoon? What if Ni-ki’s wrong… I don’t want to lose him._

_But what if he’s right…_

He was so distracted by his thoughts that he stayed generally silent throughout the entire meal, just picking at the food in front of him. Jake was sure the other members noticed how off he was. How else could he explain the concerned looks they kept sending him?

He felt bad, of course. Jay’s chicken was actually very good, he would definitely consider it one of his better meals since he’s started to discover foreign spices and flavoring. After he gained a sense of mind again he would have to let him know. 

The rest of the night passed by in a blur. They finished dinner at around 8:43 pm and almost immediately received a call from their vocal coach right after. She wanted to make sure they knew and were prepared for their weekly check in tomorrow, which resulted in everyone collectively practicing by themselves in their own areas of the dorm. 

Jake, as much as he loved them and truly thought they all sounded great, could not stand how loud they were being. He was in a crisis, a true predicament. He really needed to think things over and reassess his emotions. He could not do that with Heeseung belting the lyrics to ‘Butterfly’ in their kitchen and Jungwon harmonizing with Sunoo in their living room. 

All options considered, he decided the balcony was the best place to settle. He planted himself on the floor of the space, gazing out to the cars below. There was no furniture out there, as they barely ever used it, the cold becoming too much to bear whenever they tried. Normally, Jake would be the first to complain. Now though, he didn’t really mind much, the frigid feeling somewhat holding him down to reality. 

As he sat, he weighed the pros and cons of telling Sunghoon in his head. 

If he were to tell him and the younger boy refused his advances it would ruin everything. It would draw a wedge in their close friendship and mess with dynamics in their group. Even if Sunghoon was okay with it, he still may think differently of him. He might tell the others, then they too would think differently of him. He could become an outcast. He’d be alone. He’d finally found his home away from home and he’d lose it. 

Jake shook his head and took in a breath. 

_The risk was too much. But the reward…_

If Sunghoon, miraculously, impossibly liked him back… they’d be partners. More so than they already were. Nothing much would change, he’d just get to touch the other more. Show affection the only way he knew how. But this time he wouldn’t have to hold back. Instead of fleeting touches they could shamelessly commit. They could hug. They could hold hands. They could kis-

_No. Don’t set yourself up like that._

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_It would be nice though._

  
  
  
  
  


The sounds from the street flew in and out of his ears. His time out there felt like an eternity, when it probably was around 10 to 15 minutes. Just as he was preparing to make his way back inside, the door opened. Jake’s breath hitched. He didn’t bother to turn around. 

He knew who it was.

He felt Sunghoon’s presence beside him. Close enough to make him nervous but far enough to want to be closer.

Neither said anything for a while, just enjoyed the company.  
  


“Did you come out here to practice?”

Jake managed to squeak out of his borderline shaking body. He needed to get a grip. No matter how nervous he was this was still Sunghoon. His best friend. His emotional support. The boy that loved his members and passion so much that he gave up his childhood dream for it. The boy he fell in love with.

“Did you?”

“Fair enough.”

It was awkward. Well, at least Jake felt awkward. He didn’t know what to say or do, he’d never been in any kind of situation like this before. 

“Jake… why have you been acting so strange today?”

He didn’t dare say a word.

“You’ve been acting as if you’re here but your mind is somewhere else. Distracted and pretending… I guess. It’s not really with everyone-- unless I’m wrong-- just with me. Did I do something?”

Jake sighed and continued to stare at the road. He really did not want to have this conversation right now.

“Sunghoon-ah please, don’t worry it’s really not your fault. It’s…”

“Just you?”

“... yeah.”

He wasn’t looking at him, but Jake knew the exact expression on the other boy’s face. His eyebrows were scrunched together and he wore a frown that was both disappointed and confused. He couldn’t turn, he didn’t want to be the reason he saw that face on his Sunghoon. 

“Jake… if you hate m-”

That broke him. He quickly turned to face the other in an attempt to correct him, but Sunghoon wouldn’t meet his eye.

“I don’t hate you! I could never hate you.”

Sunghoon sighed. 

“If you knew… you would.”

Now he was confused, there was literally _nothing_ Sunghoon could _ever_ do to make Jake hate him. If he was attacked, Jake would defend him. If he fell, Jake would catch him. If he hated him… Jake would still love him. 

“If I knew what?”

Sunghoon huffed and scooted farther.

“Like you don’t know.”

“I really don’t.”

“Of course you do.”

“No seriously, I actually have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Sunghoon finally moved to lock eyes with him. He looked lost, confused. Like he was searching for answers through an endless void of nothing. 

“You… you don’t know?”

“I don’t think so?”

“But… but Ddeonu made it seem like… nevermind.”

Alarm bells rang manically in Jake’s head, his thoughts grew frantic as he tried to figure out what to say next.

_Did Sunoo tell him?_

_Did? Sunoo? Tell? Him?_

_Fuck._

_If Sunoo told him..._

“Wait wait Sunoo told you I liked you?”

_Fuck._

_Fuck fuck no I didn’t mean to…_

Sunghoon backed away from him, a startled look on his face. 

_Oh god I ruined everything._

“What?”

“What?”

Jake got up, fully prepared to make a run for it back into their dorm, but Sunghoon pulled him back. 

He couldn’t look at him, he just couldn’t.

“Jake please look at me.”

_Nope._

“Jake-ah.”

_Nuh uh. No way._

He felt Sunghoon’s delicate fingers hook his chin upwards so that he was forced to look at him. Jake felt his cheeks turn red at the action, praying the darkness of the night surrounding them was enough to conceal it. 

Sunghoon looked him dead in the eyes. Jake could see fear in them, probably mirroring his own. But there was also hope? Maybe. He was not too sure, all he knew was that Sunghoon hadn’t left yet. He wanted to take it as a good sign. 

“I’m so so sorry Sunghoon. I’ve rui-”

“No.”

The fear in the younger boy’s eyes turned to something beautiful. Something whole and special. Something so rare and precious but so powerful and yearning. Something Jake never thought he would understand… but he was starting to. 

“Did you mean it?”

“Mean what?”

Sunghoon gave him a look. Jake might have laughed under any other circumstance. He took in a deep breath and instead of trying to force a tender gaze at Sunghoon like before, he let his feelings naturally overcome him. Allowing for a true look of soft affection to grace itself into the other boy’s eyes. To his surprise though, he was met with the exact same look in return. He felt free, airborne. Suddenly he wasn’t afraid. 

_Ah. This is what Sunoo was talking about._

“I… yes. Yes of course I meant it. How could I not?”

Sunghoon let out a wet laugh. Jake had been too busy trying to focus on the look inside his eyes he didn’t realize what had been coming out of them.

“I thought you did but… I guess I just needed to hear it.”

Sunghoon moved his fingers up to his face, cupping Jake’s cheek with his right hand. His palms were warm against the cold air, making Jake swell with giddy inside. He leaned into the touch. It was nice. 

“I feel the same, you know? I have for a while. I haven’t told anyone, Ddeonu just found out on his own. In a way, it was nice to have someone to finally talk about it with. He actually gives surprisingly good advice. Nothing ever really came from it, not that it disappointed me. I was happy to stare from a distance. Last night though, he gave me a really weird look and we had this whole conversation about me potentially confessing to you. It was really random and kind of concerning since we haven’t really gotten to that topic yet. Then today, you were acting weird and I thought… well I thought he told you. He’s not the _best_ at keeping secrets, especially when he’s excited. I didn’t want to hold it against him, but I was really scared. I thought you were forcing yourself to act how you normally did because you knew. Obviously there was a voice in the back of my mind that kept telling me that you might like me back but I never truly listened to it. I was too scared to lose you.”

Jake listened. He tried to absorb everything but it was a lot at once. After Sunghoon finished talking and everything finally sunk in, Jake began to laugh. 

“We are… the dumbest people alive.”

Jake knew he looked crazy, but the irony and just all around ridiculousness of the entire thing was laughable. A small smile found its way to Sunghoon’s face. 

“What?”

His response was light, breathless. As if he wasn’t expecting a positive response despite Jake already telling him he liked him. Jake wasn’t sure if he should continue laughing or if he should start crying.

“I was worried about the same thing. Literally the exact same thing. The whole day I was so stressed about losing you and since I-Land I’ve been content just keeping it all in as long as I could.”

Jake could feel tears fighting their way to his eyes, try as he might to hold back, they still fell. Sunghoon’s thumb instinctively began to softly wipe them away.

“I guess we were just meant to be.”

Jake scoffed, but there wasn’t any real offense taken. He was really happy despite how cliche Sunghoon was.

“Shut up.”

“M-”

“Don’t you dare say ‘make me’!”

“Lame. Fine.”

Sunghoon laughed and moved so their foreheads were leaning against each other. Jake saw the other boy’s eyes quickly flick down to his lips.

“Can I still kiss you though?”

He was so smooth Jake wanted to hit him. 

_Never had a girlfriend my ass. Nobody is born like this._

_...Maybe it’s just Park Sunghoon._

Jake sighed, who was being cliche now?

He didn’t end up hitting him, instead opting to comply with the younger boy’s request. He leaned in and their lips locked. It was clear Sunghoon wasn’t expecting it, but it was only for a moment. Soon they both began to melt into each other. 

It was like nothing Jake had ever felt before. It was new. It was pure. It was them.

Jake’s hands moved to Sunghoon’s neck while the other’s hands moved to his waist. It felt different to any type of affection Jake had ever received or given before. It was a good difference though, he had been waiting for this. 

The sounds around them faded as they kissed. Jake imagined that he was the main protagonist in one of his Mom’s Kdramas. It was the final episode and he’d finally gotten the guy. God he hated romance shows like that… but he loved Sunghoon. So he thought that was all that really mattered.

After what felt like forever they finally pulled away. They didn’t go far though, neither removed their hands and their foreheads remained intact. 

“I love you.”

Sunghoon’s voice was soft, but very confident. He didn’t hesitate at all.

Jake always had trouble admitting things because he felt they may be superficial. That one day he’d wake up and feel differently. Hearing Sunghoon confess would have put Jake in a frenzy two weeks ago. He would run and pull away because he wouldn’t know what to do. He’d ask himself:

_Do I love him_? 

_Or am I just telling myself that I do?_

All his life, Jake had felt unsure. 

Now though, the moon shining down on their entwined figures. Jake had never been so sure about anything in his entire life.

“I love you too.”

And he really did.

_fin._

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed and pls lmk about the sequels !!


End file.
